Door-fastener.



M. F. STADTMULLER.

DOOR FASTENER'.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1910.

Patented Deo. 20,1910.

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M. P. STADTMULLER.

DOOR FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1910.

Patented Dec. 20, 19l0.

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MAX F. STADTMULLER, 0F PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA.

DOOR-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

Application filed .Tune 4, 1910. Serial No. 565,101.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX F. STADTMULLER, citizen of the United States, residing at Pierre, in the county of Hughes and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in locks and latches, and relates particularly to fasteners for car doors.

The invention has for its primary object a simple, durable and efficient construction of car door fastener, the parts of which may be easily manufactured and readily assembled and applied to a car, and which in operation will prove serviceable and effective in holding the lower edge of the door from swinging outwardly as well as prevent the entire door from moving laterally when t-he door has been moved to a closed position over the doorway.

Vith this and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to t-he following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car door embodying my improved latch mechanism. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device with the door open. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the door closed and locked, and Fig. 4; is a detail sectional view on the line 4 -4 of Fig. 3.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings the letter A designates the portion of a freight car provided with the usual doorway a, and 1 designates a suspension rail which extends over the door-way and to one side thereof in the usual manner.

Hangers 9. are provided with rollers 3 by which they are mounted to ride along the suspension rail l, said hangers being secured in any desired way to the door 4 which may be of any desired construction or formation, and of course, of a size to close the doorway when the door is moved in one direction along the suspension rail 1. The door t is limited in its movement in one direction by a stop-strip 5 which is in the present instance of angle metal extending vertically, as shown, and secured to one side of the door-way, one flange, or member of the strip projecting perpendicularly from the doorframe as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

In order to hold the door from swinging outwardly at its lower edge from the doorway a, I have provided a horizontally extending rod 6 which is journaled in bearing brackets 7 that are secured to the side of the car underneath the door sill, as shown, said rod being mounted to turn, or partially rotate about its longitudinal axis, and fingers 8 are projected substantially perpendicularly from the rod 6 at the ends thereof, as shown, the fingers being secured to the rod in any desired way, or formed integral therewith, as desired. l/Vhen the rod is turned in one direction, the fingers will engage the lower edge of the door at the outer face thereof and securely hold the door from swinging outwardly away from the door-way. Preferably, the door is provided at its lower edge with a wear-strip 9, with which the lingers 8 directly engage near one side edge of the door. The latter is provided with a keeper lug 10 designed for engagement by one of the lingers 8, whereby to not only hold the door from swinging outwardly but from accidentally moving laterally to anopen position after it has once been closed and the fastening devices operated.

In order to operate the rod 6, the same is provided at one end with a pinion 11 which meshes with a vertically disposed rack 12, the rack being mounted for a vertical movement in a guide channel 13 which is formed in the adjoining bearing bracket 7. The upper end of the rack 12 is pivotally connected to the lower end of a link-rod 14, and the upper end of the link-rod is in turn pivotally connected to an operating lever 15 which is fulcrumed at one end on a stud CIK 1ht as shown. rlfhc leveiI 15 is provided wit-h an operating handle 1T and with a hooked lug itl. the latter being designed to move in between apertured ears 19 that are termed on a plate 20 secured to the side ot the car contiguous to one edge ot the doorway. A bolt 2l is mounted tor a longitudinal movement in the apertured ears 19 and the plate 20 and is designed. to be slipped down back ol' the hooked lug 18 so as to lock the bolt 2l in a closed position.

F rom the foregoing description in connection with the accompanyingl drawings., the operation ot my improved car door fastener will be apparent.

ln the practical use ol the device, after the car door has been moved to closed position. the operating lever 15 may be grasped by the operator and swung downwardly and inwaii'dly toward the door- Yay in a plane parallel to the plane of the door-way; this movenicnt ot the lever, through the instrumentality oli the link-rod l-land rack and pinion. turning the rod (l in a direction to carryY the lingers S upwardly and inwardly into engagement with the wear-plate 9 at the lower edge ot the door7 and one of said lingers into eiigagement with the keeper lug 19. the door being thereby held not only 'trom swinging outwardlyv at its lower edge but from any accideiital movement aloiig the suspension rail 1 toward the open position. ilifter the parts have been thus manipulated. the bolt 21 will be slipped down back ot the hooked lug 18, thereby securely locking The operating lever.

lt is to be particularly noted that my invention provides a car door, which permitted to swing out freely as soo-n as the latches have been retracted. thereby leaving the door lree 'to be openeth as the door can easily pass any obstruction which it could not do it' it were connected to the car (as is the case with the ordinary car doors) at both top and bottom edges. To those versed in the art to which this invention appertains7 it is well known that considerable dilticulty is at all times experienced in opening car doors owing to lthe tact that the door meets with some olistruction which it cannot pass as it is compelled to move ina detinite plane. (lbvious-:ly my invention precludes the liability ot' sticking. as the door can freely swing ont atter it has once been unlocked.

llvhile in v invention has herein been described as a car door fastener, it is ot course to be understood that. the invention is equally applicable tor use in connection with other doors. and that various changes may be made in the construction, arrangements and prol'iortions ot the parts without departing trom the scope ot the invention as deiined in the appended claims. lt is also to be understood that the term Car in the claims is not to be construed in its limited sense, but should be considered as including any part provided with a door-way and a door designed to close the same Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new 1. The combination with a car provided with a door-way, ot a door arranged to be moved across the door-way and suspended so as to swing' outwardly therefrom at its lower edge, a rod joi'lrnaled on the car and provided with a linger engageable with the door to prevent its lower edge from moving outwardly and the door as a whole from moving away from the door-way in a plane parallel to the plane of the door-way and means for turning said rod.

2. The combination with a car provided with a door-way, o1 a door arranged to be moved across the door-way and suspended l'rom its upper edge, a rod ournaled on the car to partially rotate about its longitudinal axis7 and provided with a linger adapted to engage the. lower edge ot the door to prevent it from swinging outwardly, and means for operating said rod, the door being provided with a keeper lng for engagement by said finger whereby to prevent the door from moving away from the door-way in a plane parallel to the plane thereo't.

3. The combination with a car provided with a door-way, ot a sliding door adapted to move across the door- Tay, a rod jonrnaled on the car and provided with means for engaging the door to prevent it from moving away trom thedoor-way, a pinion secured to said rod7 a rack meshing with said pinion, and means tor operating the rack whereby to turn the rod.

4l. The combination with a car provided with a door-way7 the door adapted to move across the door-way7 a rod jonrnaled on the car and provided with a finger arranged to engage the door to prevent it from moving away trom the door-way, a pinion secured to thc rod, a rack meshing with said pinion, an operating lever fulcrunied on the car, and a link connection between the lever and the rack.

The combination with a car provided with a door-way, a door adapted to move across the door-way, a rod jonrnaled on Athe car and provided with means tor engagement with the door to prevent it from moving away from the door-way. a pinion secured to the rod, a rack meshing with said pinion, a support Jfor the rack, a lever tulcrumed on the car and operatively connected with the rack, the lever heilig provided with a lug, and a bolt carried by the car and ar- 1anged to engage the lug whereby to hold the bolt in one position.

6. The combination with a car provided with a door-way, oit a door adapted to move across the door-way, a rod, brackets in which said rod is jonrnaled to partially rotate about its longitudinal axis, a linger Carried by the rod and arranged to engage the door to prevent it 'from moving a-Way from the floor-way, a pinion secured to the door, a rack meshing with the pinion, one of the brackets being formed with a guide Channel in Which tlie rack is mounted for movement, an operating lever fnlcrumecl on the car,

lever and tlie rack.

ln testimony whereof, l a'tix my Signat-nre in presence of two Witnesses.

MAX F. STADTMULLER. Vitnesses J. A. DAVY, J. H. MCCORD. 

